MADISON, Alabama - Madison Schools Superintendent Dee Fowler had some good news for the City Council Monday night.

Fowler said the system is eligible to borrow between $20 million and $25 million from the Base Realignment and Closure Bill with a payback of 50 cents on the dollar.

But the catch is the system can only use it to renovate existing schools or on construction for new schools. That is a similar provision made in the half-cent sales tax the City Council passed three years ago to only pay for construction of the city's second high school, James Clemens, which opened Aug. 20.

So now the system has plenty of money to build new or renovate old schools, but not enough to pay for operations of any new schools.

Fowler asked the council to consider amending the half-cent provisions to be used for operations of the schools. The council agreed to take the request into consideration and possibly have some public meetings to address the change.

Madison Council member and finance chair Larry Vannoy said 50 cents on the dollar would be a "good deal" and is a "no-brainer."

However, Madison resident Tom Scovill took issue with the request and said he is "absolutely baffled" the council would consider going back on a promise it made only for "bricks and mortar."

"I'm not buying it," he said. "It's a promise you have to live with if you want people to take you seriously."

But Council President Ronica Ondocsin said the opportunity to take advantage of the BRAC bill was not available three years ago. Madison Mayor Paul Finley also said he doesn't want to increase taxes, but wants to "make sure my kids get the education they need."

Madison resident Beth Martin urged the council to "seriously consider amending the law" and to "consider making a promise of doing what is best for the interest of our children."

The school district borrowed $36 million from a federal school construction bond, with a payback time schedule of 17 years, which would sunset, or end the half-cent sales tax at that time.

But after the bonds only required a payback of 83 cents on the dollar, the loan amount dropped to $30 million.

While provisions of the half-cent tax were only designated for "bricks and mortar," school officials hoped a property tax referendum would be placed on a ballot so the money from it could go toward operations, as well as construction costs. It would have replaced the half-cent sale tax.

But after three failed attempts by the State Legislature to place it on the ballot, school officials had to find other means to pay for operations of James Clemens, and only recently learned about the BRAC bill money.

Finley offered condolences for the loss of Madison's first fire chief, Charles Wallace, who died Sunday.